Validation of Digital Goniometry of the Canine Appendicular Skeleton and Canine Cadaver Thoracic Limb Angles

Background: This study investigated the inter-reader reliability of a digital goniometer when measuring joint angles of a canine skeleton and cadaver. The study also investigated differences in measurements obtained when taken from a verbal description of landmarks and identified landmarks.

Materials and Methods: Part 1: A canine skeleton mounted on a wooden board was used. Anatomical landmarks were identified and 26 readers took three measurements of each joint. Part 2: A medium-sized canine cadaver thoracic limb was fixed to a wooden board. Twenty-five readers took three measurements of each joint, once after receiving a verbal description of anatomical landmarks and then after anatomical landmarks were identified. Radiographs were taken of each joint of the cadaver before and after thumbtack placement. Radiographic measurements were used as the gold standard.

Results: Part 1: Inter-reader reliability was excellent (0.998). Part 2: Results showed excellent inter-reader reliability for verbal (0.998), fixed landmark (1.000) and combined measurements (0.999). A significant difference was found between the verbal and fixed landmark measurements of the shoulder and elbow (p = 0.000). There was no significant difference between the verbal and fixed landmark measurements of the carpus (p = 0.236).

Conclusion: The digital goniometer used had excellent inter-reader reliability when measuring the joint angles of a canine skeleton and the thoracic limb joint angles of a canine cadaver limb. There was a significant difference between the verbal and indicated measurements of the shoulder and elbow, possibly indicating more accuracy when measuring distal joints. The fixed measurements were closer to the radiographic measurements, indicating more accuracy when readers did not have to identify landmarks.

Publication History

Article published online:
12 September 2025